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Sheldon Adelson loses bid to bar cameras from court

Sheldon Adelson's testimony in a breach of contract trial this week will be recorded on video after all, after a judge ruled Tuesday that the proceedings shall be open to cameras from gavel to gavel.

Attorneys for Adelson and his company, Las Vegas Sands Corp., had asked the judge to bar cameras from the court, citing security concerns for Adelson and his family. The chief of security for Las Vegas Sands made the case against the coverage in a closed-door hearing before the judge Monday.

Tuesday evening, Judge Rob Bare rejected Adelson's request, setting the stage for his testimony, scheduled for Thursday, to be on camera. According to Don Campbell, who represented media entities in the case, the judge said Las Vegas Sands had not met its "burden of persuasion."

Bare said he approached the issue with the presumption under Nevada law that proceedings should be open to electronic coverage, according to Campbell, who said the judge asked the parties to relay a statement.

"What better way to demonstrate to the public that its courts are fair and just than to say to the public, 'Welcome — to come and view the proceedings and see for yourself that those proceedings are fair and just,'" Bare said, according to Campbell.

The ruling means local media outlets will be allowed to record the trial, and Bare also ruled that Courtroom View Network could broadcast it "gavel to gavel," Campbell said.

The order is effective at the start of trial proceedings Wednesday.

This is the second trial in the breach of contract case against Las Vegas Sands, first brought in 2004. The plaintiff, Richard Suen, sued the company, claiming he was owed money for helping Las Vegas Sands procure a license in Macau. A jury returned a $43.8 million verdict against Las Vegas Sands, but the Nevada Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2010, ruling the judge in the first trial erred in jury instruction and in allowing hearsay statements.

Attorneys for Adelson and Las Vegas Sands could not immediately be reached for comment.

UPDATE (Wednesday, 8:27 a.m.): This post has been updated with backgroundon the case.